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Austintown resident to study in Wales
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Maybe Krystle can show this picture to anyone who asks where she lives in America. Here, she stands proudly next to the "Austintown" of Austintown Township Park.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor.Where is Wales anyway? Krystle Clemens points to the area of Britain that will be her new home for the next four months.
By SARAH FOOR
Tomorrow will be a big day for Krystle Clemens.
The Austintown resident will spend her Sunday on a flight to Wales as she prepares for a fall semester of language, culture and travel.
Clemens is one of six University of Rio Grande students headed to Camarthen, Wales, for an exchange program with Trinity College. There, she will learn the Welsh language, travel throughout the British Isles and study education, all while immersing herself in life in a different country and language.
“I was accepted to the exchange program after an extensive interview and essay process,” Clemens explained. “Now that the day is almost near, I’m packing, reading up on Welsh books and history and hoping to learn some key Welsh phrases.”
Originally from the Cleveland suburb of Bedford Heights, and a graduate from Bedford High School, Clemens came to Austintown three years ago when her mother became a substitute bus driver for Austintown schools.
“I’m expecting to get the question, ‘Where do you live?’ and I think I’ll point out Austintown on a map and tell them it’s a great place, with the amenities of the big city, without the hustle and bustle.
“I’m not sure many people understand the importance of Wales,” she lamented.
“Wales is located in southwestern Britain, and although sparsely populated, the Welsh have retained their native tongue and Celtic history. The land is quite beautiful and it’s still a popular vacation destination,” she explained.
The trip to Wales is the first time Clemens has traveled abroad. She is excited for the tours that her exchange program is providing throughout the British Isles and Europe.
“I think I’m most excited about visiting County Cork, Ireland — my great-great grandparents were born there,” Clemens said.
As Clemens boards a flight in Charleston, W.Va. tomorrow for a long seven-hour flight across the pond, she says she’ll continue to be “excited about the wonderful opportunity given to me.”